It has been one year since Hideo Kojima gave the world the first real title of the Eight-Generation era before riding off into the sunset as a better person than the leadership at Konami. Those who missed out on The Phantom Pain now have a second chance with Metal Gear Solis V: The Definitive Experience.

Metal Gear Solis V: The Definitive Experience is a special edition that includes Ground Zeroes along with The Phantom Pain and all the DLC’s into one bundle. Such a package should be the ultimate treat for the most hardcore fans but with an incomplete story and the Kojima/Konami dispute still fresh in gamers memory will make them more weary.

Here is a recap of the story, Paz Ortega Andrade along with Chico have been captured by XOF and are being held at Camp Omega in Cuba after the events of Peace Walker. Snake (a.k.a. Big Boss) infiltrates the camp and rescues them before sensitive information about Militaires Sans Frontières (Soldiers Without Borders) is leaked. The mission is a success but its learned that the rescue was a ruse and Mother Base has been attacked while a bomb was hidden inside of Paz. Following the attack, Big Boss is badly injured and falls into a comma while the survivors go into hiding resulting in the collapse of MSF.

Nine years after the attack; Big Boss (now known as Punished Snake) wakes from his coma at a military hospital in Cyprus. Several weeks after his return to the world, an assassin along with a psychic and a XOF team attack the hospital all at once in the hopes of taking him out. Big Boss escapes the hospital thanks to the help of a mysterious guardian named Ishmael and Revolver Ocelot.

Big Boss and Ocelot arrive in Soviet-occupied Afghanistan with the task of rescuing Kazuhira Miller. Once all three are reunited, they begin the task of rebuilding their mercenary army and seeking revenge against Cipher. This desire for revenge will take Snake across the battlefields of Soviet-occupied Afghanistan and to the war-torn region of the Zaire-Angola border.

Players are tossed into an open world environment while being forced to use stealth and their limited resources to survive. Like previous games, one has to adapt to the environment to overpower the enemy forces. At the same time, players need to build up Diamond Dogs by collecting resources and gear while recruiting volunteers.

The Definitive Experience also includes all the post launch DLC’s for both the single-player game and the multiplayer experience.

Yet the story does have a few problems because of how it contradicts events told in previous games and the twist ending created more unresolved issues. In the end, fans were left with more questions than answers, while the concept of a hero to villain story is absent.

Its also important to note that Episode 51: Kingdom of the Flies is still not included in the overall game. For those unfamiliar with this mission, it was suppose to have been the final confrontation between Snake and Eli but was cut because of the Kojima/Konami dispute. Hence the overall story is unfinished.

Had the cut mission been included then it would have been worth for fans to get The Definitive Experience. Without Episode 51 makes the game instead feel less like a treat for fans and more of a cheap gash grab for Konami.

Gamers who missed The Phantom Pain last year will be the only ones who will enjoy Metal Gear Solis V: The Definitive Experience. Fans who enjoyed Big Boss last true adventure back in 2015 will not have any interest.

Final Score: 9/10

Disclaimer: I checked out and played the game for 5 hours at a friends house.

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